INDONESIA — May 18, 2026 — Guardian Girls International (GGI) and the International Pencak Silat Federation (IPSF-PERSILAT) officially launched the global Guardian Girls Pencak Silat (GGPS) initiative during a high-level reception held at the Official Residence of the Japanese Ambassador to Indonesia in Jakarta.The historic launch marked a major international collaboration to empower women and girls through Pencak Silat, Indonesia’s traditional martial art and cultural heritage recognized by UNESCO on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2019. The global Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed by Mr. Shin Koyamada, Executive Chairman and Secretary General of GGI and Mr. Teddy Suratmadji, Secretary General of IPSF-PERSILAT witnessed by Mr. Benny G. Sumarsono, Executive Chairman of IPSF-PERSILAT. A national agreement was also signed simultaneously with Ikatan Pencak Silat Indonesia (IPSI) to officially launch the GGPS initiative in Indonesia through Guardian Girls Indonesia (GGNC Indonesia).Opening remarks were delivered by the Chargé d’Affaires of the Embassy of Japan in Indonesia, Mr. Toshihiro Kaneko; Mr. Shin Koyamada of GGI; Ms. Verania Andriani, Assistant Representative of UNFPA Indonesia; and Mr. Takahiro Yasuda, Director of The Japan Foundation, Jakarta.The President of IPSF-PERSILAT is H.E. Prabowo Subianto, President of the Republic of Indonesia, while the President of IPSI is H.E. Sugiono, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, reflecting Indonesia’s strong national commitment to advancing Pencak Silat globally.Founded in Jakarta in 1980, IPSF-PERSILAT is the international governing body for Pencak Silat and today works with more than 80 member countries across Asia, Europe, Africa, the Americas, and Oceania to promote the martial art internationally. A key long-term vision of IPSF-PERSILAT and Indonesia’s sports leadership is to see Pencak Silat included in the Olympic Games in the future. President Prabowo Subianto has repeatedly reaffirmed his commitment to elevating Pencak Silat to the Olympic stage under the vision of “Pencak Silat Goes Global: The Road to the Olympics.” The reception welcomed distinguished guests from the diplomatic community, Indonesian government institutions, UN agencies, women’s organizations, sports federations, and educational institutions. Representatives and executives from multiple Indonesian sports federations and organizations attended to celebrate and support the global launch, highlighting growing collaboration across sectors to empower women and girls through sports, culture, and education.As part of the partnership, IPSI officially joined Guardian Girls Indonesia (GGNC Indonesia) as a member organization to help implement GGPS through its nationwide network, expertise, and resources.Through the initiative, IPSI and GGI aim to collaborate with the Indonesian government, UN agencies including UNFPA Indonesia, national sports federations, educational institutions, and community organizations to create sustainable long-term impact for women and girls through GGPS Seminars and GGPS Academy programs across Indonesia.One of the highlights of the evening was a live demonstration by recently certified Indonesian female Guardian Girls Pencak Silat instructors, showcasing self-protection techniques, discipline, leadership, and the cultural values of Pencak Silat.“Pencak Silat is more than a martial art — it is a symbol of cultural identity, discipline, resilience, and unity,” said Shin Koyamada. “Through this historic partnership with IPSF-PERSILAT and IPSI, we hope to create meaningful opportunities for women and girls while helping share Indonesia’s proud heritage with the world.”The GGPS project joins GGI’s growing network of international sports projects, including Guardian Girls Karate (GGK) with the World Karate Federation (WKF), Guardian Girls Ju-Jitsu (GGJJ) with the Ju-Jitsu International Federation (JJIF), and Guardian Girls Vovinam (GGV) with the World Vovinam Federation (WVVF).Over the past three years alone, GGI has launched projects and activities in more than 28 countries across Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas in collaboration with governments, United Nations agencies, international sports federations, embassies, educational institutions, and civil society organizations.
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